Extensible mast



B. F. SEYMOUR. EXTENSIBLE MAST.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1915.

Patented June 8,1920.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTOR. 5. F Seymour W A TTOR NE Y.

B. F. SEYMOUR. EXTENSIBLE MAST. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. 1915.

Patented June 8. 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- B. F. SEYMOUR.

EXTENSIBLE MAST. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1915.

Patented June 8, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR. 5. F Seymour A TTOR IV E Yv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. SEYMOUR, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL ARMY AND NAVY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORA- TION OF COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

EXTENSIBLE MAST.

Patented June 8-, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SEY- MOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Denver, in thecounty of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Masts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to extensible 'masts for use in warfare and other purposes, its principal object being to provide a mechanism of simple and highly practical construction by means of which an object may be elevated to a considerable height upon a surface upon which the mast is erected.

' The carrier may be an observation platform from which the surrounding country is inspected, it may be a turret for the support of guns, or it may be a platform for supporting a searchlight, a signal apparatus or other device or devices used in modern warfare.

In case the carrier is used as an observation platform, a parapet of armor plate protects the observer against the fire of the enemy, and when it is employed for the support of guns, searchlights, signaling apparatus, or other mechanical devices, a mechanism is provided for the operation of the devices upon the platform from a point adjacent the foot of the mast. The mast may be erected upon a solid stationary foundation either on land or on board of Warships, or it may be carried upon a motor car or other suitable vehicle for its transportation to different locations in condition for immediate use.

A searchlight or an electric signaling device supported on the carrier may be connected in a circuit which is opened and closed at the base of the mast, and a mechanical signaling apparatus mounted on the mast may be operated from the same point by either electrical or mechanical means.

In short, my invention is adapted for the elevation of any of the many devices used in modern warfare to obtain a wider range for the observation of surrounding territory, the projection of missiles, and the transmission of signals, and it includes means to mechanically or electricallyoperate the said devices from a point adjacent the foot of the mast.

When the mast is carried on a vehicle or installed on a vessel, it may be hinged at its lower end for adjustment to a horizontal or inclined position, and while the mast is principally designed for the elevation of a carrier for the purposes mentioned hereinbefore, it may be effectively employed to provide a collapsible smokestack or mast on war vessels, a periscope on submarine boats or a tower for the support of the antenna used in wireless telegraphy.

The uses to which my invention may be applied are too numerous for separate illustration, and I have therefore shown in the drawings only those forms of my invention which at present appear to be of most importance.

Itshould be understood that the operating mechanisms shown in the drawings and hereinafter to be described, are merely illustrative of what may be accomplished by the use of my invention, and that any mechani cal or electrical appliance may be employed for effecting the extension of the mast and for the operation'and adjustment of the de vices supported at the upper end thereof.

In the drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved mast in its collapsed condition,

Fig. 2, a similar view of the mast in an extended condition, 7

Fig. 3, a perspective view of a hinged mast lowered to a substantially horizontal position,

Fig. 4, a vertical central section of the lower portion of the mast,

Fig. 5, an underneath view of the mast showing the mechanism for rotating the members of the master section of the same.

Fig. 6, a section taken along the line 66, Fig. 5,

Fig. 7, a plan view of a motor-driven vehicle upon which the extensible mast is operatively mounted,

Fig. 8, a longitudinal section along the line 15-15, Fig. 7, drawn to an enlarged scale,

Fig. 9, an elevation of the mast in a collapsed condition showing the application of a Searchlight at its upper end,

Fig. 10, a slightly enlarged horizontal se'cgion taken along the line 10-10, Fig. 9, an

Fig. 11, a fragmentary elevation of the carrier at the top of the mast, showing the parapet for the protection of observers.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, my extensible mast is composed of telescoping sections each comprising a plurality of rotatably connected tubular members with the exception of the upper section,

the members of which are relatively stationary and may if so desired be made of solid material.

The sections of the mast are cooperatively associatedso that a rotary movement imparted to the members of one of them will efi'ect successive upward movements of the others.-

. The lower or base section 13 of the mast is composed of a plurality of parallel tubularmembers 2 which are rigidly secured upon a floor 3 upon which the mast is erected.

Rotatably mounted within the members of the base-section of the mast are the members & of a longitudinally immovable section 14 which in the operation imparts by v the rotary'motion of its members,successive movements to the longitudinally movable sections of the mast. p

The members of the section 14, which hereinafter will be referred to as the master section' of the structure, have exterior collars 5 which engage the upper edges of the respective members of the base-section and they are provided at their lower ends below the floor upon which the structure is supported with gear wheelsfortheir synchronous rotation'by connection with a suitable driving mechanism hereinafter to be de scribed. f

The two lower sections of the mast are braced by truss rods 6 which at their upper ends connect with a head 7 placed in peripheral' grooves at the upper ends of the members of the master section.-

1 The rods are at their lower extremities,

attached to the floor upon which the struc- I ture is supported, and they are furthermore secured to a web 8 by which the members of the base section are integrally connected at their upper ends.

The members of the master section have I adjacent their upper extremities, inwardly projecting spiral ridges or threads 9 to cooperate with exterior female threads formed by spiral grooves 10 on the exterior surfaces of themembers 12 of the first extensible section 15, which members are rotatably fitted in the respective members of the Imaster section. Y j

The members ofthe other longitudinally movable sections of the mast, with the ex- A ception'of the top section 16, are of. similar construction. 7 V 7 V But one member 15'has been shown in the drawings, but it will be understood that as many similarmembers maybe providedi' {are required to extend the mast to a prede- V termined height. 7 v V The members ofthelongitudinal movable vmechanical rotation. p I s 'It will be seen from theforegoingdescripsection, which are rotatably fitted in those of the section immediately below the same. I It will thus be seen that in this manner the mast may be composed of any desired number of sections of'suitable length within the limits of the diameters of their members,

which necessarily decrease progressionally from the base section the structure.

The members 20' of the top section 16 of the mast, may if so desired be solid. They have like the members of the other extension sections, exteriorly spiral grooves for cooperation with the spiral ridges ofthe members of the adjoining section into which they.

extendand they are nonrotatably connected at their upper extremities by a platform 21 which constitutes the fundamental part of thecarrier}. Y

The rotary membersofthemaster section 141 are provided at their lower ends with gear wheels 22and 23, the wheel 28-on oneof the members meshing with those of the other members for their synchronous rotation;

Since by this arrangement the member to which the driving gear 23 is secured rotates 'in a direction opposite to the movement of the members which carry the'driven gears 22, it will be understoodthat for the conjunctive motion of the members of'the extension sections, thelexternal spiralgrooves of the members corresponding with the driving member of the section 14 must be wound in a direction opposite to that in which the grooves of the members corresponding" with the driven members of the mast-section extend. Y

'The driving member of'the master section is furthermore provided with a beveled gear to the upper section of wheel 2 1 which meshes with a .correspond- V ing'wheel 25 on 'a shaft 26 which is rotatably supported in bearings 27 below the floor 3.

The shaft has at one-of its ends a hand crank 28, but it may if sorequired be connected with suitable mechanism for its tionthat when by rotation of'theshaft a 1'0- tary movement is imparted to the members of the master section, the members of the extension sections collapsed within themem bers of the master section will, with the exception of those ofthe upper section, rotate in conjunction with ,mhe last-mentioned members, since no resistance is presented-to their rotary motion.

The members of the top or carrier section 16 0f the mast, however, are held against rotation by the platform 21 which connects them at their upper ends and they are in consequence compelled to move upwardly by reason of the movement of the rotating spiral ridges 18 of the members of the next adjoining section in their exterior spiral grooves.

When the upper section of the mast has been projected from the adjoining lower section until the ridges 18 on the members of the latter have reached the ends of the respective spiral grooves in the corresponding members of the carrier section, the members of the said lower section are thereby held against rotation, with the result that this section will in its turn move longitudinally out of the section in which it telescopes.

In this manner the different extension sections comprised in the mast will be successively projected until the section adjoining the master section has reached the limit of its upward motion.

When the mast is used on vehicles or under circumstances requiring it to be lowered to a horizontal or slanting position when not in use, the floor of its base section is hinged upon a suitable foundation plate 33 as at 34 in Fig. 3.

The driving shaft 26 is in this construction supported in bearings below the foundation plate which has an opening 35 to admit the gearing at the lower ends of the members of the master section, and a catch 36 of suitable construction may be provided to secure the mast in its upright position upon the foundation plate.

A mast mounted to be lowered to a horizontal or inclined position inthe above described manner is particularly adapted for use on a motor car 37 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 in which case the driving shaft may be mechanically operated by connection with the transmission gearing 38 of the vehicle.

To move the mast mechanically about the hinge which connects its floor-plate with the foundation plate 33 on the vehicle, the said floor plate is in the construction shown in the drawings provided with a segmental gear 39 which through the intermediary of a rotary gear wheel 40 is operatively connected with a driving wheel 41 loosely mounted on the shaft 26.

A clutch 42 slidingly mounted on the shaft and connected therewith by means of a feather for conjunctive rotation, is provided to secure or break the rotative continuity between the driving gear wheel 41 and the shaft.

While the sections of the mast hereinabove described are composed of three mem bers, it will be readily understood that any desired plurality of members may be used in the construction of the sections in accordance with the height of the mast, the weight to be elevated by extension thereof, and other circumstances and conditions.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 masts have been shown the sections of which are composed of five members one of which is centrally disposed with relation to the others.

The mast shown in Fig. 11 has upon its platform a parapet 106 of armor plate which protectsan observer against the fire of the enemy while he inspects the surrounding country by looking across the edge of the parapet, or through peek holes in the plate of which it is composed.

The mast shown in Fig. 8 has around the machine gun carried upon its platform, a protective shield 107, and the mast illustrated in Fig. 9 carries a search-light 108 which by mechanism similar to that hereinbefore described, can be rotated to point a light in different directions.

When the operation of the device or devices on the carrier of the mast require the presence of a person or persons in close proximity thereto, or when the mast is used as an observation tower, as in the construction shown in Fig. 11, the base-section of the same is provided with a series of pegs 109 upon which a person may climb to reach the carrier before the mast is extended.

It will be seen from the above description that by the use of the extensible mast, a platform and any object or objects supported thereon, may be raised to any desired elevation above the base-section, it being obvious that when rotation of the master section is discontinued, the different extensionsections are automatically locked against relative longitudinal displacement, irrespective of the extent to which they are projected.

The above description explains but few of the uses for which my invention is adapted.

Its use in trenches and in wooded countries, or upon war vessels and submarine boats is of obvious value, while its practicability as a temporary tower for the support of the antenna used in wireless telegraphy will be readily appreciated.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is:

1. An extensible mast comprising a longitudinally immovable lower section composed of a plurality of rotary members, a longitudinally movable upper section composed of a plurality of non-rotary members, a longitudinally movable intermediate section composed of a plurality of rotary members, the members of said sections having cooperative male and female screw-threads adapted to efi'ect the movement of each longitudinally movable section by the rotation of the members of a longitudinally imdependent rotation at a determinate point in the longitudinal movement of said section;

a carrier on the upper section, and means for rotating the members of the lower section. V

2. An extensible mast comprising telescopingsections each composed of a plurality of members which are placed close together and arranged so as to brace one another, the members of the uppermost section being-non-rotatably connected and those of the .other sections being rotatably connected, and means to'efiect the synchronous longitudinal movement of thenext succeeding upper section, and which automatically lock the sections for conjoint rotation at a determinate [point of said longitudinal movement. g

In testimony whereof I have afiixedvmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: v

G. J. 'ROLLANDET, L. RHoADEs.

motion of those of each lower section into a 

